Root-knot nematodes are important soil-borne pathogens that cause significant economic losses in the production of melons and watermelons. In Türkiye, particularly in the Çukurova region, research into identifying resistant genotypes against these pests has been limited. This study evaluated the reactions of 12 melon genotypes, 12 watermelon genotypes, and three commercial varieties of each crop against Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949 race 1, and Meloidogyne javanica (Treub, 1885) Chitwood, 1949 (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) races 1 and 3. These experiments were conducted between 2017 and 2020 in collaboration with the Department of Plant Protection at the Faculty of Agriculture, Çukurova University, and the Biological Control Research Institute Directorate in the relevant laboratories and greenhouses. According to the results, all genotypes exhibited varying degrees of susceptibility to both nematode species and races, with no complete resistance observed. However, Kav-216 (melon) and Kar-96 (watermelon) showed partial tolerance, particularly against M. javanica races 1 and 3, with the lowest egg counts and gall indices recorded in these genotypes. These findings are consistent with previous international studies and suggest that Kav-216 and Kar-96 could serve as genetic resources in breeding programmes aimed at developing resistant rootstocks. This study makes an important contribution to breeding programmes focused on root-knot nematode resistance.
Dinçer et al. (Tue,) studied this question.